My Magnolia
by Lian-hua
Summary: A different Mulan sequel. There's political trouble going on and Mulan must make a sacrifce, but what about Li Shang? Is he going to stand for it?
1. Default Chapter

****   
**_This is just another attempt at a Mulan sequel. It's a bit silly and contrived in the plotting, but that's partly the idea. I always get a real kick of the melodramatic swashbuckling romances (think the Princess Bride) so I decided to write one for Mulan. Once again, this has nothing to do with my other stories, just a different plot, different scenario that I got a giggle out of. Enjoy._******

**_The usual Disclaimer applies, Shang, Fa Zhou, Chi Fu, the Emperor, the Gang of Three, General Li and Shan Yu belong to Disney, I'm just goofing off here and would never flatter myself into thinking I could make money from this._******

**_This story is rated G (amazing huh? no sex, no dirty jokes, phooey) but there are a couple innuendoes here and there. I'll edit it later_**

**_~ With the usual love,_**   
**_Lian Hua_**

**MY MAGNOLIA**   
**PROLOGUE**

"Not enjoying the festivities?" Mulan looked up at the sound of that amused voice - amused and a bit concerned. Li Shang stood before her in formal armor, a general's armor, looking over her curiously. She was not surprised exactly that he should seek her out, comrades often did at these affairs as she had seen, and he had come to visit her at home before, polite though distant as always. But at least he had come. The crackle of fireworks caught her eye, the night sky alight with a shower of color, the merrymaking of the revelers carried by the breeze. Yet here she was, seated on a low stone bench in the public garden, which was more private than anywhere now. She looked up at the pavilion, the chrysanthemums in bloom, the rippling pond not far from her feet sparkling like crystal as it reflected the colors blooming in the sky. Simple and beautiful, the garden was breathtaking.   
Shang had made her feel slightly embarrassed, she had never been a social person, had never been welcomed in that way by others. She had always been the one to watch the world around her, to envy and disapprove, until she had joined the army anyway. Now all of a sudden she was of interest, she was worth something, it was all quite dubious. The Emperor had insisted she come back to Ch'ang-an, that a proper hero's welcome be shown her and her friends. "I've hardly had a moment to myself all night," she told him with a small sigh. "I'm not used to a lot of people." Well there she'd done it, made herself sound like a farm girl without manners.   
To her surprise he nodded in agreement, perhaps thankful to find someone tonight who shared that view. Sitting down beside her he sighed as well. "I've never cared for it either. It isn't right that they feast and revel every other weak while people in the fields are starving." The new general turned to her with a guilty little frown. "Though I suppose it surprises you to hear me say it."   
"Why would it?" Mulan quirked an eyebrow at his change in tone.   
"Oh, I don't know. I guess when it comes to your impression of me I haven't done myself much credit."   
That small touch of bitterness perplexed her. In training he was calm and confident, in the mountains he had been determined yet commanding, at her home nervous and unsure, but never bitter and harsh with himself. She was used to him now, finding him a rather gentle and sensitive person beneath the guise of authority he wore so well, a serious and pensive person. Then again, his father had died after all. "I have always thought of you as a good and honorable man," she tried her best to assure him.   
His laughter was low, he so rarely laughed. "Then I apologize for disappointing you." She often wondered what is was which made so somber, even before. Responsibility, she told herself, perhaps unable to come to terms with his duty. "Um... look, Mulan," he began with that returning nervousness, a shadow of contrition passing over his face. "I've been meaning to tell you... I'm sorry for the way I treated you, in the mountains and in the city. I was beside myself that day, my father's death and the horror of it all. I never should have taken your lie so personally."   
Ah yes, that terrible day, the brutal storm of rage in his eyes, so savage and angry. It made her shiver more than the cold. Her only hope had been that one look back, so long suffering yet so fleeting, betraying some affection, some regret. And he had been so beautiful, in all that pain, in that battle of conscience and anger, tall and hurt and powerful. In that moment she had been convinced she meant something to him. Strange thoughts for the situation, but there was a part that had been so sure he didn't have the heart.   
"I can understand," she brushed it off. Not a pleasant memory.   
"Hey," he laid a hand on her shoulder, seeing her discomfort. "I would never in my life have hurt you. Even if I was angry. Forgive me if I made you believe it."   
What choice did she have but to forgive him? He had shown mercy with a soldier's honor, a life for a life, not the mere patronizing pity for a wounded girl. "Maybe it would been easier if Chi Fu shared your feelings."   
"You think so, do you?" he deflected seriousness with a smirk. "Would you rather he see you as only a pretty girl and demand you for his concubine? Account yourself lucky." Her cheeks warmed, he had called her beautiful!   
There was a sense of relief at bringing the subject out in the open, her discovery, her betrayal, her spirits were lighter for it. "Would you rescue me?" She fluttered her lashes playfully, like some the great ladies she had seen tonight. Leaning against him she sighed and played faint, it was fun to flirt, even if she had never tried it, it was fun because she knew it made him uncomfortable.   
"I doubt you'd give me the chance," he pushed her away affectionately. Then he smiled. "But you know, you should go back to the party, the garden isn't a safe place. A hero is a desirable target for some."   
She eyed him doubtfully. "You're still alive and unscathed."   
"I know, and I'm not flattered at the prospect." That made her laugh, at first she had thought him arrogant and conceited, but the more she knew him, the more she found the opposite to be true. "Well, you're still a young lady, so I've been told, maybe I'd better walk back with you."   
Mulan turned to fix him with an offended glare, but gave up and followed him. Even if she was a girl, he was not going to abandon his rough way of teasing. 

*** 

Chapter One   
(A Month Later) 

The Emperor looked from Li Shang to Chi Fu, then back at the pile of papers on the writing table before him, displeased. The Huns had harried a border town, and not only that, but were seeking Liu Shitan's alliance, whose state lay between Ch'ang-an and nomad territory. The king of Liu was crucial, he must not go over to the other side. The was only fact the two men agreed upon, but he should have known, a soldier and a courtier saw the world differently.   
"Your Majesty," Chi Fu began in his simpering voice, flourishing his ink brush as he was wont. "Obviously, sending an army against these Huns proves... " he threw a deliberate glance at Li Shang, "Ineffective, perhaps we should turn to matters of diplomacy."   
General Li was not to be outdone or put off by the preening of a slithering old man. Perhaps he was not the witty and eloquent courtier Chi Fu was, but he was still a capable leader. A soldier was taught to be up front and plain spoken, to look his enemy in the eye. "Yes, I agree," the general said to Chi Fu's chagrin. "Men are killed everyday at the border and it seems a standstill. This new leaderis as relentless as Shan Yu, only too cautious or cowardly to wage an open offensive. Diplomacy just may be our answer, Your Majesty."   
Nodding at both them, the Emperor sighed. Both men were trustworthy, both men had were assets to the Empire. Chi Fu may not have been the most affable of his ministers, but he had a knack for acquiring information. As for Li Shang, what needed to be said? He was upright and intelligent, ready to serve his country with selfless courage. It was Li Shang who would be the most useful, unfortunate as it was. Even an Emperor did not like making pawns of others.   
"Diplomacy," he repeated the agreed upon strategy, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Usually that involves a marriage to seal blood ties. All of my daughters are married, and I cannot think of a suitable lady. He has no wife I hear, so a bride of Shitan must be worth an alliance. Chi Fu, your daughter is married as well is she not?"   
Li Shang raised that telltale eyebrow. "You have a daughter?" Yes, he could understand the young man's barely veiled astonishment, and disgust, that any lady would allow the man to lay a hand on her.   
"Yes I have a daughter," the older man grumbled with ire, tired of this reaction from others. "And I have a wife too. That's more than you have, if you want to marry to Ping you'll have be the shame of the empire."   
The young man's eyes glared black and treacherous. "I don't want to marry Ping," he stressed each word in a low and dangerous voice.   
"That gives me an idea!" Chi Fu paused in his twirling and gesticulating. "Why don't we marry Fa Mulan to the king of Liu? She's hardly a princess, hardly a woman," Chi Fu sneered over the word. "But she's... shall we say... renowned?" Once again, the deliberate glance at Li Shang.   
Tapping his lip with a finger, The Emperor studied the young general. It was quite a tale at Court how the pair acted awkwardly around one another, grinning and faltering over simple words in their unrealized admiration. Li Shang's face was smooth and apathetic now, devoid of any anger or outrage for Chi Fu's suggestion, he was simply very quiet. That was the danger of an honorable man, he would put on a good face but you never knew what he was thinking. Whomever he chose, the young lady was likely to be someone's hope, but his ministers were sneaky at best, mercenary almost. Of all the men he could afford to hurt, Li Shang was the safest choice, he would accept it, he would deny any love, any affection he felt for this girl if his Emperor commanded it.   
"Sir," the expected protest was not emotional at all, but rather cold. "It is fair to sell a young lady to a king?"   
Chi fu sniffed. "That _young lady _should thank her Ancestors at this good fortune. It would hardly be more cruel keeping her here where she might have to act as a proper woman some day. The gods know no sons will pop out of her."   
"I think it is an excellent idea," The Emperor concluded at last, if not reluctantly.   
The young man stood, once again with that unreadable countenance. "I will take her family the news then?" The Emperor nodded. "By your leave, sire," was all he said before turning away 

*** 

Mulan powdered her face in the looking glass and fussed with her hair in irritation. Ever since Li Shang's visit her mother and grandmother had insisted she wear make-up, demanded so pay more attention to pretty clothes and find new ways to arrange her hair. It was not that she minded, she had nothing against pretty clothes or make-up theoretically, except for the small matter of her looking like a fool. Boy slim and short haired, she felt as ridiculous as Ling must have in a dress, and hardly had room to laugh anymore. Preening for the Matchmaker was quite fine, it was not as if she preferred a man's dress, but for such trite reason's as her mother and grandmother supplied, it was all she could not to throw her comb across the room. Their motives were vague and yet very particular at the same time, prove to the world that the daughter of the Fa house was indeed a young lady still, and foremost at that, and to catch the eye of the handsome new general. She could have more easily lied about her feats in the army than hide the fact she was sweet on Li Shang.   
Yet he was never cooperative, least of all responsive. So courteous and genteel, yet so distant. It seemed he went out of his way to speak her, to draw her aside for a quiet, private word, and at the same time went out of his way not to reveal any compromising emotion. Her grandmother had said give him time, that he felt ashamed and unsure after the way he had treated her, that soon enough her rouged lips and bright eyes would break down his walls of caution. Mulan had feared it was Fa Zhou himself which forced the young officer to hide his feelings - if he hand any - perhaps Li Shang had worried her father would not be so forgiving as the women of the family. Fa Zhou had recognized the efforts to primp and pretty Mulan as women's work and did not make himself a participant, in fact, the idea of her not being married no longer seemed to concern him.   
So to say the least, her mood was foul today, and I didn't improve when Grandmother called her. "Mulan, are you finished making yourself pretty? Li Shang is here!"   
How many times had Li Shang seen her when she was rather unpretty? She hardly thought a bit of powder and rouge made the difference for him. The last thing she wanted was for him to think her vain and frivolous. What could she do though, her family meant well.   
"I'm coming," she called back, slamming the make-up box for good measure as she left the room.   
Li Shang was not happy, that was for sure, he wore a somber expression that worried her. He stood in the middle of the front room very stiff and business like, looking at her but not really seeing. Both her mother and grandmother wore troubled faces also, Fa Li stood by her mother in law, wringing her hands.   
"Is something the matter?" Mulan asked tentatively, sensing the tension in the room. "Has another war broken out?" Oh gods, with that fallen look across his features let it be that simple.   
"Actually, I think you should go get your father. The Emperor has sent me with news I..." he paused and looked down. "news I would not care to have to give twice."   
  



	2. Chapter 2

**_I wrote this in a big hurry, so any missing words or grammatical boo-boo's will have to be corrected later. I'll write the next bit tomorrow. This story is fairly short anyway._****__**

**_~ Lian-hua_**

**MY MAGNOLIA**   
**CHAPTER TWO**

The Fa family stood in shock as Li Shang made his reluctant announcement, Fa Zhou in particular teetered on the verge of anger, the normally composed face drawn with worry and displeasure. Mulan herself did not know what to think, or how to react, it was unreal. She fought to keep her eyes off Shang, how could she let him see how torn and afraid she was, how could she let him know in front of all her family that he stood at the heart of it?   
"Sir," he addressed Fa Zhou with his usual dignity, but this time with an edge of formality to it. Was she imagining, or was he too careful not to look her way in return? "As you know, Liu is the land between the steppes and Ch'ang-an. If the Huns receive aid from the king of Liu, they will have a chance at reaching the capitol. If Liu Shitan sides with us, he will use his men to drive them back. As it is, we cannot take them both on, the losses we suffered in the last war were severe and we are still rebuilding those troops. The Emperor will provide the dowry, and you will be paid as well, for your loss." So restrained and in command of himself, as though it did not hurt him a bit. Never mind that she was dying inside. It made her angry to see it, it made her almost hate him.   
Fa zhou was not enticed by the bribe, which she had expected, in fact she was sure he scorned it. "I had always hoped my son-in-law would be someone I knew."   
It was too deliberate, too pointed, and for Mulan it was too much.   
"I am sorry," the general said quietly, this time including Mulan.   
She drew herself up, maybe she wasn't tall and imposing but she could be proud like a man, she could hide her deepest secrets and swagger and saunter as though this arrangement was no skin off her back. His resolve and acceptance had made a fool of her, and worst of all he didn't even realize it.   
"No need for apologies, General Li," her family was startled, as much at her sudden decision to speak up after her disbelieving silence as they were at her words, her cold words. "A daughter's duty isn't that much different from a soldier's." Now that was a biting remark, she saw him flinch involuntarily, she had hoped it would not go over his head. If he wanted to be noble and self-sacrificing she could match that and more, if he truly had felt nothing, she could even feign that. A man's pride, it was something you learned in the army, something he had tried to teach her that finally sunk in. Put aside your qualms and think of your country.   
His rigid and soldierly stance never shifted. "Well, the Empire charges me with seeing you safely to the Imperial City. We can leave whenever you are ready, but I wouldn't delay too long."   
"No need to delay," was her even reply. "I'll just get my things."   
An hour later, Mulan crept quietly from the sad goodbyes and hollow reassurances her mother and grandmother offered. Fa Li packed her daughter's clothes with care, grumbling over the fact that she had no time to prepare a last favorite meal, or acquire a special gift. In one lost and sad moment Fa Li opened a drawer in her room and took out a jade pendant carved into a lotus flower, placing it around Mulan's neck.   
"Here," she had said as thought it were nothing, a token trinket that would have to do. "My mother gave this to me. I want you to have it now." Picking up the charm, Mulan fingered it lightly, it was really quite beautiful, more beautiful than anything she had worn before. Smiling despite it all, she embraced her mother, who was already weeping.   
Her grandmother had no such gift, but then again her gifts were always in advice. She told her not to forget Li Shang, not to give up, the Ancestor's were watching after all. Mulan heard those words with a lump in throat, it was a nice thought at least.   
So she broke away from the somber household a few moments, straying into the garden that she had always loved. The late morning sun brought the colors alive, the greens and peaches and pinks around the sparkling water. She passed that and may her way up the small green hill to the family temple, where the polished stone tablets shone with a faint reflection of her face. The incense burner caught her eye, carved into the shape of a dragon, and she sank to her knees, pressing her forehead low to the ground.   
"Mushu," her prayer was for him alone, how she missed him. "I know you are watching. I know I have no choice but to accept this marriage or shame my family. But if there is someday around this please help me, Mushu, please." she stressed the world as much as she could.   
Yet this was not as simple as joining the army and taking her father's place, this seemed inescapable.   
"Mulan?" She turned at the sound of her father's voice. Fa Zhou was already limping inside the temple, lowering himself to kneel beside her, carrying something in his hand. Another farewell present, she though, as if they could wash this away with gifts. "We are worried about you. You are sure you will be alright?"   
She nodded. "I survived the army, and the war, not every girl does that. But every girl survives a marriage and I won't be the first."   
Patting her hand gently, he smiled at her spirit. "I talked to Li Shang a moment ago." There he went again, always approaching the difficult matters with such a care, no matter how much she messed up.   
"Oh?" She raised her brow. "Is he going to perform the ceremony himself?"   
"Mulan," it was a gentle chiding, but stern still. This was no time for her sarcasm. "Mulan, you are being too hard on him. It is not easy being a man, Mulan, much less a high officer, it will not be easy for him to watch you ride off and marry, even if he did not want you for himself. Speaking his mind on the matter will only make things worse, for everyone, he isn't a fool, Mulan he knows how the world works. So you see," he sighed tiredly. "hardships aren't only forced on daughters."   
Men, she seethed angrily. If only one of them did have the guts to speak their mind none of these things would happen. She had stood up for her father, and Chi Fu had silenced her, her father had yelled at her. Well she had stood up for herself the moment of her discovery, and Li Shang had relented. A man would have accepted execution as a matter of pride. She was tired of men and their pride and their resignation.   
"No need to worry, Father," she assured him again with false enthusiasm.   
"I brought something you might like to take with you." Unfolding his little bundle he produced the lotus comb she had worn the Matchmaker's, the one she had left behind when she ran away. "I know this time you won't be coming back for it." He brushed her hair back and placed the comb gently, the way he had the first time.   
The sadness in his voice brought forth the tears she had been fighting all day. Her father would not be there to comfort her anymore. Flinging her arms around him, she sobbed onto his shoulder while he patted her hair and tried to reassure her. Leaving her father would be the hardest thing of all.   
Footsteps echoed outside and she looked up abruptly, wiping her tear stained eyes to find Li Shang looking at her with sympathy and concern.   
"Your mother sent me to get you, Mulan," was all he said, not the least bit awkward at having stumbled upon this private family moment. How unlike him. She was mortified, her cheeks burned, that she should cry in front of him. Regaining her dignity, Mulan rose to her feet, letting Shang lead her out of the temple. "Are you going to be alright, Mulan?" He asked her when they were outside.   
She turned her nose up at him. He certainly wouldn't sacrifice a damned thing if she wasn't, nothing that would tarnish his good name, his honor. "It's not your problem," she snapped at him, she could take her anger out on him too, just like he did to her in the mountains.   
Fa Li had finished the packing, and had Khan saddled and ready. The horse was hers now, after all, they would find another. Her family said goodbye including Little Brother, who jumped around and yelped nervously as if to say the arrangement boded ill. Within the next hour Mulan was atop her horse following Li Shang out to the rode, looking back at her home for the last time. She fought to remember it as though it were a picture, the exact hue of the stones, the color of the leaves, the flowers. Then she shook her head and gave up, remembering her dignity.   



	3. Chapter 3

**_I'm not too satisfied with this part, tired today. I guess I'll fix it up later. Are the characters out of character? Of course! I had this silly idea that I could improve thing :) Please excuse the spelling, my spellchecker keeps crashing the program I'm typing in._**

**_~ Lian-hua_**

**MY MAGNOLIA**   
**CHAPTER THREE**

It was a two day ride back to the Imperial City, during which tension rose high between the pair. Mulan was still furious at his intrusion in the temple, seething everytime she thought about it. How dare he offer her pity in the place of comfort, when really it didn't matter to him who she married. It certainly didn't matter that she was marrying someone other than him, and that rankled most of all. She supposed she felt betrayed, unforgivebly so, here she had harbored these not so secret feelings, a fire he had fed with his quiet talks and pointed glances, and he shook that off to pass her over to another man as though she were a good horse. Something to admire which belonged to another, something he could only dream would be his. But she doubt he even dreamed of anything beyond carrying out the Emperor's command. Did this cold and devoted soldier never stop to swoon at sunrises or admire the blush of pale flower blossoms?   
They rode in silence, Mulan having nothing to say to him nor he to her. Evidently, he took this escort duty to heart and watched the road ahead of him with keen, unflinching eyes, if an assailant lurked behind the deepest shadow he was not going to miss it. Well, he could still hold his head up with pride at least, he wasn't the one crying in his father's arms like a little girl. She wondered if he had ever cried, too often those solemn dark eyes seemed too cold for tears.   
Finally they stopped well after sun had slipped behind the trees, the sky awash in darkening indigo, choosing a grassy clearing safe from view. At once he began building a fire, then anounced he would get her some supper. He seemed to forget she had been a soldier too, that she had scurried about the most unpleasant of duites well he sat aloof over a map with that same intent look on his face. It was a look she had learned well, after many nights of studying him. His brow would lower and his eyes would narrow and... She wanted to hit herself, fawning like a girl over a pretty man.   
Really, she could not complain, she thought as she tasted the roasted rabbit and vegetables he offered her. He wasn't so bad a cook, better than her anyway.   
"Mulan," he addressed her at last with such sternness in his voice he may as well have said "Ping." Stop acting foolish, stop causing trouble, the voice said. "I know you're angry, but you have to realize how the Emperor thinks. He thinks he has honored you by choosing you as Liu Shitan's bride."   
Ungrateful for the interruption, Mulan scowled at her plate. "I don't feel honored at being thought of as expendible." What was the matter with her? She had behaved this acidly before.   
"Would you rather there be another war?" His tone was ripe with impatience. How dare he! How dare he imply that she was being selfish! "Thousands of people die. Truth to tell, I'm dissapointed in you, Fa Mulan, I thought you loved your country more. Or is it as long as your father is safe you could care less who dies. After all, there are plenty of young men to fight for China."   
She bounded to her feet. "How dare you!"   
That night flashed behind her eyes again, the night before she had left. _You shouldn't have to go, there are plenty of young men to fight for China. _How did he know what she had said that night, who had told him?   
"I dare." His eyes were like black stones, shining with anger. He may as well have held that sword above her again. Gods above, how could he be so cruel. "You were so fearless and brave, I admired that, now you're acting like a child. Even if you don't come to love him your life will be better than most."   
That cut too deep. He _wanted _her to marry this king? He does not love me, she thought as she sank to the ground again, he does not love me. 

*** 

The second day started out worse.   
She rode several yards behind him, making it perfectly clear she was in no mood for conversation. Let him feel like a herald, instead of a friend. Her eyes stung with tears each time she thought of the previous night, how he was so cold and unfeeling. Not only did he approve of her marrying another man, but he wanted her to be happy about it! It was just too much for her stomach.   
The only words she uttered to him that day were to not bother fetching her dinner, she would rather starve, and if not she would get it herself. He flinched as though she had thrown a rock at him, but made no move to get his own supper either. Instead he left her alone and went off, she had no idea where. Their little camp was no different from last night's, a grassy spot surrounded by trees, the mountains in the background like a misty painting. A stream rushed nearby, snaking behind the hill and almost lost beyond a cluster of ferns. It was a pretty place, too bad her foul mood had to spoil it.   
An hour later, he returned, his hair wet and his shirt hanging open as he often wore it. It was hard not to admire him, his tall figure, his toned form, even if he was all good looks and no heart. She watched covertly as he built a fire in his meticulous and orderly fashion, walking over to feed and pet his horse with dignified affection. All the while he never looked at her once, he seemed to forget her presence altogether.   
After while she grew tired of watching, darkness had spread and she decided to gather her things for her own bath. The cold stream was enough to clear her thoughts, and cool her temper. She even felt forgiving. Men were different, she reasoned it out, they did what they were commanded and accepted it, they didn't waste their time with wishing.   
Shang was asleep when she made her way back in the dark, she found that odd given he hadn't slept much when she was in the army and didn't seem any worse for the wear because of it. Still, she crept about as quietly as she could. spreading out her blankets and laying down.   
Sleep was impossible, she tossed and turned for another hour, worrying and dreading her wedding day. What would this king look like? Would he be an honorable man or a cruel husband? Would she be one of ten wives? Finally, she gave up on sleep and crawled out of the blankets.   
Mulan stood over Shang a moment, gazing down at him as he slept. The statueseque form, the strong arms hugging the blankets, the sturdily handsome features of his face, how beautiful and perfect he was. It did not matter anymore if she was a lovesick girl or not, who was there to ridicule her but herself? She wondered what it would feel like to have that strong arm embrace, to hear that commanding voice whisper to her softly. A wistful sigh escaped her, she would never know love, not this love.   
She should have moved away when he stirred awake, but she didn't, she stood there and pretended to be looking around her. He raised his head quickly, eyes finding her in an instant. "Mulan?" he sounded so worried. "Is something wrong?"   
"Oh... I... " she faltered for an explaination the way she had when he'd asked her name. "I was just scared and thinking." Unfortunately it came out backwards.   
"What?" He sat up, taking in their surroundings in one glance. "Did you see something?"   
Lowering herself to her knees, she placed a hand on his arm. "No, no... I was thinking about my marriage and I couldn't sleep."   
"Ah," laying back down, he folded his hands behind his head and looked up at her. "There really isn't much to worry about, Mulan. You said yourself a wife's duty isn't much different from a soldier's. It won't be any worse than boot camp." This was said with a crooked smile.   
"But weren't you scared when we went into battle?"   
He sighed. "There wasn't enough time to be scared, not for myself anyway. One minute I was yelling at you, the next I was pulling out an arrow praying to my Ancestors none of you would get killed. I couldn't bear to see a comrade die. Were you afraid?" It was said without scorn, he would think no less of her if she admitted it.   
"I was with you." Did he not understand? That made all difference in the world.   
Reaching up, he patted her hand. "Well, you'll have lots of handmaidens and eventually children to make sure you're never in want of company. It won't be a hard life, that's for sure, better than being a general."   
"That's what I'm worred about," she confessed dryly.   
"Your wedding night." It was so frank and matter of fact that she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She had certainly never discussed this before, except for a very delicate lecture from her grandmother, but certainly never with a man! Yet he did not appear uncomfortable with the subject in the least, he only nodded as though it were in the order of things. "Well, no good man should find it too enjoyable with a woman who is... less than willing."   
Her face still flared, his easiness with the subject revealed more than she needed to know about him. Still she wondered who, and when, jealous and curious, and if he had loved her - or them. He was a soldier, his life was rough either at camp or at war, a soldier took whatever fleeting pleasures he could.   
"I'm sorry, Mulan," he said after a moment of delicate silence. "I meant no disrespect."   
"I know," was all she said.   
Yet he was gazing openly at her now, concerned and almost protective, an upsoken promise to come to her aid should she need it. The moon was bright, she could read his eyes clearly, he was touched she had confided in him a moment ago. Her heart warmed, crying with impluse. The seclusion and silence made her lose her reason. She murmured her brazen wish.   
"Kiss me, Shang, it isn't treason."   
His eyes widened in disbelief, but he leaned forward and obliged her.   
Then he pulled back, keeping a proper distance. "I was sent to protect you not take advantage." But he was breathless, confused.   
"Don't you feel anything?" She demanded, wanting words, reassuring words, that at the very least he cared for her, that he wished things were different.   
He took her hand in his, so warm and gentle, so torn. "I'm not allowed to," he said with quiet bitterness. Then he turned away, fighting something, was it pain? Strangely it was enough.   



	4. Chapter 4

**_Stupid spell checker still isn't working. I'll have to change the rating for one or two naughty words._****__**

**MY MAGNOLIA**   
**CHATPER FOUR**   


Servents were there to whisk her away the moment she arrived in Ch'ang-an. Mulan scarcely had time to breath before they snatched her off to dress her and decorate her for an audience with His Majesty. Yet the finery they decked her in this time made the clothes she had worn to the Matchmaker seem dull by comparison. They draped her in different shades of blue, her pale gown trimmed with ornate floral embroidery, her hair set with sparkling combs. Mulan sighed, there was really no need for this.   
After they had finished making a doll of her, she was whisked away down several tapestried halls into the massive red and gold throne room, awaited by the Emperor. Li Shang was there, standing by the throne like a statue, and worse, Chi Fu was beside him. Mulan groaned, that was one face she had prayed to never see again.   
The Emperor smiled at her, resplendant in his yellow robes and gold embroidery that winked under the sunlight from the nearby window. "Fa Mulan," He spoke the name like a title. "I trust you had a safe journey."   
It was a struggle not to blush, and to avert her eyes from Li Shang. "Safe and pleasant." She tried to sound dignified and carrying, the way Li Shang had at the victory parade.   
"Ah," he gave a sage nod. "Well then, I trust it has been explained to you why a marriage is a necessity?" He took her silence for a yes. "An ordinary noblewoman would not be enough, you are a woman of splendid repute. The possession of such is enough to sway a man. He has agreed to the bargain."   
Bargain, the casual word burned like a curse. "I am glad to be of profit to you and my people." The Emperor may not have caught her sacrasm, but Shang did and set his mouth grimly. Her behavior today seemed to satisfy him up that point. Of course, he wanted her to honored and accepting so he had nothing to feel guilty about.   
"Be ready to leave in the evening, that way you will reach the Palace of Liu during the night. The sooner the better, the easier my people will sleep." 

*** 

Throngs of people gathered in the streets of Ch'ang-an to see the brave warrior women off to meet her husband. Shang sighed impatiently and pushed his way through the onlookers, not even bothering to be polite about it. His mood was irritable and impatient to say the least. Red streamers decked the city, Mulan was being sent off like a princess, she had been so busy with preparations that he had had no chance to speak to her again, no chance to say goodbye.   
A clamor of shouts and excited pointing took up amongst the crowd, everyone turned towards the sound of gongs and marching feet. A great gilded palanquin was borne on the shoulders of eight stalwart guards, the red silken drapes left often to reveal the girl inside. He hardly recognized her, in the red silk robes and heavy make-up, her face half hidden by the tinkling beads of her bridal crown. His ears fell deaf to their cheers and blessings, his eyes remained fixed on her as she drew nearer and nearer. A swell of pain bore into his heart, filling him with violence. He could fight soldiers, but he could not fight the Emperor's command. It tore at him, this having to let her go, it tore at him until he felt his heart had been eaten away where he stood.   
He wanted to call to her, to say he would not forget her, but no words came. Her eyes sought him out when she was close enough, solemn and touched with sorrow, yet her face was proud, composed. He held her gaze as long as he could, until she was too far away. He waited until she was out of his sight before slowly slipping out of the crowd and making his way back to the Palace in silence. 

*** 

"Exactly what sorrow are you trying to drown?" Colonel Shen Tianxi asked his friend, sipping his own cup which was only filled with wine. "And how many shots is it going to take?"   
Slamming down his cup, Shang looked over at Tianxi in irritation, since when was he one for temperence? "It's only my fourth," he grumbled crossly, "and my head is still clear." Everytime he closed his eyes he saw her being carried off, it would take more than four shots of liquor to was that away.   
"Well what's the occassion? Don't tell me your celebrating Fa Mulan's good luck like the rest of the city."   
The tavern keeper brought him another cup which he downed quickly, starting to feel a slight dizziness. "Good luck? Do you think she's happy about it?"   
"She's a woman," Tianxi seemed annoyed. "She's getting married, that always makes them happy. I have two sisters and that's all they ever cared about. Unless of course, there's someone else she'd rather share her bridal chamber with." He kicked Shang under the table and grinned meaningfully.   
"Can't a man be concerned for a woman without people thinking filthy thoughts?" That only made Tianxi laugh.   
"You've lost your love today," the other man teased. "Your magnolia will bloom in another garden." Shang flashed his eyes at him, his head more muddled than he thought. One glare was enough, Tianxi recoiled and looked apologetic. "Alright, I'm sorry. I didn't know you loved her, you never said. Why did you let her go then? Why not tell the Emperor? I'm sure he could have chosen someone else."   
Before Shang could answer, a strong hand seized him around the throat. "Come outside, pretty boy." a familar gravely voice demanded in his ear. Tianxi jumped up, but Shang shook his head at his friend, letting Yao drag him out of the tavern.   
Once outside, the former soldier continued to lead him down the street around building to where another man was waiting up ahead. Shang blinked, dazed from the liquor and off balance, but he was sure the skinny man could only be Ling. It was, and he stood against the back corner of the tavern with his arms folded, looking almost intimidating and certainly furious.   
"I saw Mulan leaving today to marry the King of Liu," Ling's voice held an icy threat behind it. "We saw that she wasn't happy either." He should have known, Yao and Ling lived near the Imperial City, of course they would hear the news. Once they found out Mulan was a woman they had treated her like an elder sisiter, obeying her wishes while looking over her shoulder at the same time. Brothers posed a problem for any suitor.   
"Look," Shang managed in his stupor, the drink had gone to his head by now so much he could no longer think straight. "She never asked me for help out of the situation, and I don't have the power to help her anyway. There was nothing to be done."   
Yao punched him square in the face, making him groan. "You bastard! She wanted to marry you, how could you let her be sold off like chattel?"   
Shang blinked, fighting back a flash of pain, her eyes again, finding him in the crowd. "Well there's nothing I can do!" he growled back, "she's already gone."   
This time Ling kicked him, he slumped out of Yao's grasp unto the ground, not realized he had relied on the other man for support. "You lying son of a bitch!" Ling roared. "After all she's done for you, saved your sorry life and forgiven you, you just let her be sold off." Yao jumped in and they began to thrash him, Shang was too drunk too fight back, he squeezed his eyes shut and endured the beating, partly because he deserved it. "You aren't even a man if you can't repay a debt!" Yao raised his fist to land another blow.   
Tianxi caught his arm.   
"What the hell? You want the guards to come and execute you both? Don't you know it's a crime to assult an Imperial official?" He had his sword out. "I'll kill both you dogs, no one cares if two noblemen kill a pair of filthy commoners."   
"What? What?" Yao advanced, his face burning red with rage. "Bring it on then, coward, don't hide behind the law. We're here to collect a debt for our sister Fa Mulan. Stay out of it." Ling took a ready stance behind him.   
In the meantime Shang managed to scramble to his feet. "It's true," he admitted quietly, but Tianxi did not look ready to relent.   
"Wait!" Ling flung out a hand, dropping his voice. "Everyone shut up. Look, it's Chi Fu!"   
The four of them turned around to see a litter stopped ahead, sure enough Chi Fu stepped out with two bodyguards and approached a cloacked figure on the street. Chi Fu too his cloaked, the cowl shading his face, but telltatle gestures gave him away at once. His shroaded companion appeared to be a woman from the small stature and swaying walk.   
"He has a mistress, what of it?" Tianxi scowled. "I admit that's amazing in itself, but he's probably paying her a great deal of gold."   
Still unsteady, Shang shook his head. "No, look, he's going off without her. Quick, follow him."   
Sneaking around tavern again, the four men stayed in the shadows, keeping a safe distance behind Chi Fu as he made his way down the darkened street. He stopped at the corner of the next building, where a taller figure drew him aside, also cloaked. Chi fu handed something to the stranger, a bag of gold perhaps, and the stranger began to talk softly. Lowering himself to the ground, Shang crawled closer, with Tianxi behind him, the pair ducking behind an oak tree. Shang wished it was the liquor that made what he heard only his imagination.   
"... no one in the Palace suspects," Chi Fu was saying. "and the girl is on her way. You have your master kill the little wench and have the barbarians blamed. China will be outraged at the loss of the great warrior bride, and we'll have the war he wants. Provided I get my reward."   
"You'll get it," his companion promised him. Then they parted, and Chi Fu walked back to his carriage.   
Shang felt his heart stop in shock. Chi fu was a traitor and was plotting the death of Mulan? His hatred for Chi fu was a hardly concealed thing, but he had never suspected the man would have treason in his heart. And Mulan? Unaware and unprepared, riding to her death, no, not Mulan.   
"Tianxi," he whispered. "You are more sober than I. Did I hear that right?"   
The other man nodded grimly. "Seems like your magnolia is in to be crushed." Gods above, he never thought there would come a time when that girl needed rescuing.   
Ling and Yao were already there, hearing the news from Tianxi, both as shocked as he was. "I have to stop her carriage." Shang mumbled nervously. A fast horse, a plan..   
Tianxi laid a hand on his shoulder. "What we need is evidence that Chi fu and Li Shitan are conspiring. We'll go to Liu Shitan's Palace at once, but we have to be clever."   
Clever, yes, what would Mulan do?   
Shang's eyes brightened. "I have an idea."   
  



	5. Chapter 5

**MY MAGNOLIA**   
**CHAPTER FIVE**

Mulan sat stiff and uncomfortable as she was carried through the hills. She didn't see why they couldn't take horses, why all this pageantry was insisted upon. Her back ached from sitting up so straight, holding her head high when she wanted to close the curtains and hide in the corner. Yet Li Shang had been there, back at the Imperial City, wading through the crowd to look at her. And such a look, it had never left her.   
It was night now, the greenery of the hills veiled in near black. They had only stopped to rest twice, to change the guard after departing the Imperial City and again when the entered the land of Liu. No one would take the Emperor's wish to hurry too lightly.   
The clatter of hooves caught her attention outside, echoing from the road ahead. She had seen no passerby so far and would welcome any distraction to allay her boredom and worry. The horses appeared over the dip in the road, riding down the hill towards her. Two horses, two masked riders in dark cloaks and ten on foot, her heart swelled with fear. What if Li Shitan had lied? What if she was to be sold for some other purpose?   
Her litter stopped as the masked party came to a halt, surrounding her and her guard in a half circle, aimed cross bows laid in their arms - aimed at her guards, not at her. "In the name of the gods," the leader cried out, brandishing a sword. He was a large man with a carrying voice. "Restore the Lady Fa Mulan."   
Gently, she was lowered to the ground, her bodyguard flashing their own weapons. "Away, villains, in the name of His Majesty." Her captain thrust a sword at them. "Is it worth being hanged at His Majesty's command to rob a bride for her gold?" Soft laughter spread among her men.   
Without a word, the masked speaker spurred his horse forward, driving his blade into the Captain's breast. He slumped to the ground with a cry as two of his companions lunged forward, only to meet the same end by a deft slashing of the ruffian's sword. Mulan shook with fear as she shrunk against the back of the palanquin. These were not mere bandits, not with that grace and skill, these were trained warriors. She had fallen in the middle of trap.   
A small bit of courage caught up with her and she peaked her head out of the litter at last, four guards standing and a fifth writhing in the dirt with a bolt in his middle. "Stop!" she cried out, to her surprise the masked soldier froze, giving her his complete attention. "What is it you want?"   
"Fear not, Lady, no harm is meant to... "   
Two more of her guards jumped at him with their swords, one shot down quickly, the other clawed away by the rider's weapon, cleaved in two. She felt ill at the sight, thankful the darkness shielded the detail. Seeing there was no chance, the remaining two guards fell to the knees, plunging their blades into their hearts as they brushed their foreheads to the earth. They would rather die than live with this failure.   
The rider dismounted, kneeling over the bodies, rummaging through their clothes and pulling something from the pocket of one that seemed to startle him, a seal she thought. "We can't have any witnesses," he sighed, she felt a small bit of comfort that he did not relish the scene.   
"If you came to kidnap me, you may as well kill me now!" She may have sounded noble, but she certainly did not feel that way. She felt small and afraid.   
"Be quiet," the leader commanded her, not harshly, but not gently either. Then he turned to his men. "Come, carry her. We have little time, Liu Shitan is waiting."   
Eight men removed their shrouds, revealing Palace uniforms.   
She was lifted again on eight shoulders, while the two riders rode a good pace up ahead. Mulan swallowed hard, praying silently. 

*** 

Tearing off his mask, Li Shang surveyed the road ahead of him, the Palace already in sight. No one here knew his face anyway. Tianxi followed his example and even flung his cloak back over his shoulders. The other man had done a fine job dispatching the guards, while he lingered there quietly in the dark, lest Mulan recognize him. It was a good thing six more soldiers were not hard to come by.   
Red streamers topped the Palace, celebrating a bride. They were received at once at the Palace gates, Mulan helped out of her bridal chair while Shang stood far enough away where he could turn and hide his face from her. She looked very afraid.   
Tianxi was beside him, speaking softly. "Looks like your magnolia has withered a bit." Shang would take mess duty for a year if that man wasn't worry in his voice.   
The general gave him a wry look. "I'm sure she's only faint for your dashing heroics."   
The guard inside the Palace spoke. "His Lordship wishes the Lady Fa Mulan arrayed and brought to her chambers tonight, he will visit her there, to become acquainted with her before the ceremony tomorrow. Escort her there at once, if it pleases you."   
Of course, with Chi fu's seal found on the murdered guards, Shitan would expect Mulan's entourage to be men loyal to Chi fu, and accomplices in his vile plan. Of course he would plan to murder her tonight before the ceremony tomorrow. Shang clenched his fists, but then again this arrangement made his plan all the more workable.   
The strands of beads from her headdress were pushed forward over Mulan's face and covered with a red veil, obscuring her view. Two of Tianxi's men took her by the arm, guiding her gently.   
Servants led them down the many halls and up several flights of curving stairs. Six guards surrounded Mulan while Yao and Ling kept a distance, only not so great as the one Shang and Tianxi maintained in the lead. A female servant was waiting outside a large pair of lacquered doors, an older woman with arms folded over her ample form. By the motherly smile she flashed at Mulan and the impatient glances for the soldiers, Shang immediately dismissed her as being no conspirator, just a high ranking servant of Liu Shitan's house.   
"Oh, my dear," the woman chattered briskly, taking Mulan by the arm and ushering her inside. "Your make-up is spoiled, and your dress is wrinkled. Don't worry I've left several others for you to choose from just in case, though I had no idea you were such a little thing. All the rumors said you were as big as man." She shook her head, opening another small door in Mulan's chamber where a dressing table and mirror had been laid out with cosmetics and jewelry, three of course red gowns hanging beside it.   
Tianxi folded his arms, looking askance at Shang. Shang nodded. "Leave us now," Tianxi ordered flatly. "The bride can ready herself, we have a few words from the Emperor to relay to her still in private. A personal message from His Majesty."   
Having no choice, the woman curtsied and departed, seeming confused.   
Leaning closer, Shang spoke for Tianxi alone. "Get her out of here, and the rest of you go too."   
With a brief salute, Tianxi seized Mulan from her guides. "Come with, my lady, there are certain things unsuited for bride's eyes. I trust you have the sense to cooperate." Shang shot him a warning look, there was no need to frighten her, especially since she could not longer see her kidnappers. The Colonel forced a faint smile, he was only trying to make a joke.   
Shang smiled back, over Mulan's head where her back was turned. "Careful, man, she fights good."   
At those familiar words Mulan froze in step, stiffening visibly, but Tianxi led her away before she could speak.   
Sitting at the dressing table, Shang picked up a small pot of white face powder, knowing he had little time. Cringing, he quickly spread the stuff over his face studying it's paling effect in the mirror, adding more and more until it set into a flawless mask. He picked up a small brush in a pot of black ink and, deciding it couldn't be more difficult than writing a letter, painted it over his eyelashes, surprised that it came out decently straight. There was mauve rouge, and a thick red paint for his lips. He applied these quickly, with passable results.   
Throwing off his cloak, he took one of the bridal gowns from it's hanger, red silk and lavishly embroidered in gold. It was too short of course, reaching only to his calf and revealing his pants and boots beneath, but it would do. Untying his hair he combed it quickly, parting it in the middle and wrapping it in a looser bun atop his head, securing a large flower comb to the ribbon. Gazing at the imagine in the mirror again, Shang pursed his red lips experimentally. He did not exactly look like a man anymore, except for his height and build, but nothing like a lady. The result was sort of in between, a perfect thing for taking the place of a warrior woman. In all this primping, he gained a newfound respect for "Ping."   
  



	6. Chapter Six

**_This is the final chapter. Some day I plan to fix this up and flesh the story out a bit, make it a little longer. But for now, I was just having fun, and have other projects to tend to. All apologies, the stupid spell checker is still broken!_**

**_Hope you all enjoyed,_**   
**_~ Lian-hua_**

**MY MAGNOLIA**   
**CHAPTER SIX**   


****Ushered into an empty storeroom by her abducter's, Mulan snaked her arms around herself and leaned against the wall. The leader slammed the door and leaned against it while the others crowded in to the oppoiste corner. Two had been sent off somewhere with orders. They had allowed her to remove her bridal veil and crown only moments before and she would not waste her opportunity to get a good look at this knave.   
He was tall, nearly as tall as Shang only not so broad in the shoulders, and not entirely unattractive. His eyes were neither cruel nor gentle, but clearly intelligent though she was sure they could be piercing. No danger radiated from him, except the skill he had displayed with her bodyguard. That was the puzzle, what was his motive.   
_Be careful, man, she fights good._   
Those preciously inadequate words stuck in her mind. Surely it was coincidence, or wishful thinking on her part.   
"You don't know who I am, lady?" Her kidnapper asked quietly, without a touch of harshness in his voice. In fact he seemed a rather light hearted person.   
She should her head. "No."   
He gave a shallow bow. "Colonel Shen Tianxi," he anounced with pride. She stared in puzzlement, neither the title nor the name meant anything to her. "General Li Shang and I have been friends since childhood. We thought we would get together with your friends Liang and Yao and help you out of this perdicament."   
"Treason?" Mulan gasped in surprise. So he had come for her after all? She could do nothing but smile like a fool, beaming with relief. Shen Tianxi only grinned.   
"No not treason," the colonel corrected. "You'll find all that out soon enough."   
That was not enough. "Where is Shang?" she demanded.   
His smily was sly. "What is the most important strategy for a warrior?"   
The strange question made her blink, thinking back to her training. "Act like a shy maiden, but know when to leap like a tiger." Oh gods, she prayed, please don't let him be about anything foolish. 

*** 

Shang pulled the covers over him quickly, slipping his hand beneath the red linen. He gripped the hilt of the sword, laying it across his chest, with only the point exposed where it laid against his lips. His fingers crawled over the cold steel as his eyes fell closed a moment, his heart hammering for bloodshed. This was the man who had invited a war, the man who had tried to take the woman he loved, plotting to despose of her as though she were an obstacle. His Mulan, his magnolia, oh this criminal would die the most horrible death he could devise.   
His heartbeat rose witth the creaking of the door, not in anger, but in anticipation, as let the blade dip invisibly beneath the blankets. How he must have looked, his powdered face, his dressed hair, glowing in the lamplight, like a doll. That thought almost made him laugh as Liu Shitan drew near, his foosteps a harsh whisper on the soft rug. The scent of liquor bit the air, incongrous with his perfume, he forced himself to lie still and cold while the rough hand stroked his cheek. A knot of disgust clenched in his stomach, was this how a maiden felt when wedded to a stranger? At least he had the sword beside him should things go too far.   
Liu Shitan drew a little closer, brushing cold lips to his powdered forehead, inhaling the fragrannt sent of lavender on his skin. Seizing Liu Shitan's throat with a deft hand, Shang kicked the blankets off him, piercing his blade to his chest, forcing him back.   
"You!" Liu Shitan shreiked in outrage, at once recognizing the tall figure. "I should have known, Chi Fu said murdering the girl was the only way to get to you." He staggered a safe distance away and drew his own sword, flipping it masterfully between hands.. "Ah yes, you see this, General?" He turned the blade in taunting. "This sword longed to kill your father and it will do the same for you. I can't have my plans foiled by the righteous, after all." In a flash of fury, Shang advanced, gripping his sword in two hands, slashing brutally for his enemy. Liu Shitan escaped by a deft half a step, panting, his eyes alight with cruelty. "Not so fast, General, I haven't yet told you how I plan to murder her, the more brutal the better." His words cut off in a drepaved cackle.   
Leaping in the air, Shang jumped on the bed, slicing for Shitan, his movements wild yet with a warrior's precision. Shitan recoiled, his face nervous and fearful as he turned and bolted for the doorway. Bounding from the bed, the General flipped in the air, landing in front of him, cornering him in the lamplit room. Howling in frustration, the king lunged forward with force, pushing through him into the hall, it was all Shang coulld do to keep from being gutted by the blade.   
Liu Shitan had no choice once Shang pursued him in the hall, he spun and advanced only to have Shang yank up his skirts to deliver a powerful kick to disarm him, snatching the sword and running up the wall to turn another flip over his head. With an agile flourish,, Shang struck two criss crossing cuts on Shitan's chest, eliciting a scream. The other man gaped down at his wounds in fear and took off running behind him, clutching a desperate hand to his chest. Wasting no time, the General dropped his weapons in the pursuit, jumping on Liu Shitan's back, sending him crashing to the floor. He rolled under Shang, kicking and struggling, but the General was too strong for the wounded man, holding him down with his weight and clutching both hands around his throat until Liu Shitan's face swelled red then blue.   
Shang let his hands fall moments after he lay limp, climbing off of him and rising to his feet. Mulan was already running down the hall towards him, alone.   
"Forgive me for killing your husband," he said quietly, catching his breath. "He hardly deserved to live."   
She stopped short at the sight of him in a bride's clothing, the picture seemed to shock her more than the dead man on the ground. For her, that was in the order of things he supposed. The gown she wore was almost a copy of his, only not ripped or blood stained in the fray. At last she acknowledged the body with a somber eye, then stepped over it quietly, leading him away.   
"Shang," she turned to face him, her stare intent and curious as she took in the painted face and woman's clothing, relunctantly intrigued. "All this so I don't have to marry the King?"   
He returned her scrutiny quietly, the fair soft skin, the subtle lines of her form, it was too much for a man to behold with clears thoughts. Without thinking, he brushed that single lock from her forehead, soft and glossy against his fingertips, her eyes wide and clear, welcoming the touch. "A hero does not act for selfish reasons," he murmered softly. How could he have been so foolish to let go in the first place? At first she did not catch his meaning, at first she was puzzled. He sighed, the confession would be hardest of all. "I place your safety and that of my country before my own feelings. Even if I had none, I would have come for you."   
She was flattered yet confused, her eyes narrowed in consideration. "I asked you once if you would rescue me." was her only answer.   
"I should never have teased you then. When you asked I was afraid you were only teasing me," He swallowed. "I'm sorry."   
"You've smeared your rouge," She said suddenly. Reaching up, she dusted the powder from his cheek, exposing the tan skin beneath. "You've almost spoiled a ravishing appearance, my lady. " Straightening the flower comb in his hair, she grinned. "Almost. But what I am to do? I have no husband now."   
Blushing with embarrasment, he returned her humor. "Well perhaps you will allow me to be of assistance one more time." The long considered words came easier than he had ever thought.   
"What?" She tried to defuse the depth her surprise with another jest, but her eyes had brightened. "And break a widow's vow? Besides, it may not be safe for you, marrying me, Mistress. It seems I've caught the eye of a jealous officer who might kill you on our wedding night."   
He smiled brightly. "Oh, I won't stand in his way then, it seems he must love you."   
"You wouldn't have a chance anyway," she feigned a haughty reserve.   
Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her deeply, leaving her no more room for teasing. She wrapped her arms around him until they were in a tight embrace. After a moment, he let her go. "Liu Shitan was a spy and traitor, I thought I could repay you somehow for saving my life. If the Emperor does not permit our marriage, we will not let that stop us. Come," he took her hand. "let's find the others and go home."   
Mulan was silent, but clung to his hand possessively, neither of them bothering to care what servents thought of two women kissing or holding hands. How could they care, they were going home, together.   



End file.
